Emeralds & Steel - *Squallphie Contest*
by Vick330
Summary: *Entry for the Squallphie Contest, Seiftis Forever msg* - Selphie helps Squall through a difficult moment, and it starts a whole chain of unpredictable reactions. *Completed*
1. How It Ends & Starts

_Emeralds & Steel_

Entry for _The Squallphie Contest_. Hosted by _Alonia Everclear_, _Seiferfetish_, and _Saravien_ (_pub18.ezboard.com/bseiftisforever_ message board).

~ _Disclaimer_ ~

Final Fantasy VIII, its characters and locations are property of _Squaresoft_. _I Was Made For Lovin' You_ and _Shandy_ are property of _Casablanca_ _Records_ & _Filmworks_ _Inc_. (they were the last time I checked anyway), and _Vivo Per Lei_ is copyright of _Insieme Srl_ (I think). I do own the idea for this story, and the poems (who in their right mind would want them anyway?).

~ _Foreword_ ~

So the rules, or rather guidelines - as it was mentioned that all or none of them could be used, as long as it was a Squallphie - are:

1) Rinoa comes on to Seifer and Squall overhears

2) Seifer refuses, he's with Quistis

3) Selphie cheers Squall up, and finds out that Irvine is cheating on her with Fujin

4) Squall decides to cheer Selphie up

5) Zell is happy with library girl and his hot-dogs (thus unavailable)

6) It might happen that Irvine ends up with Fujin and Rinoa with Raijin

7) Five chapters maximum

8) No lemons

Have you ever heard of a farfetched story? I had to go pretty far to fetch this one, and then use persuasion (you don't want to know, trust me) to bring it back. And so I had to bend the guidelines some (a lot in fact), because I don't want to blatantly bash any of the characters (I'm nice that way).

Warning: Trying to say Zell's girlfriend's name in one breath can be hazardous to your health, the author denies any responsibility if the reader decides to try it in spite of this advice.

PG13 rating is for a little swearing, innuendo, and rambling insanity. And I made up Raijin's name 'Barjan'.

I hope you'll enjoy ^_^

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**~* V – _How It Ends…_ *~**

She awoke from a refreshing slumber, comfortably cradled against him. Her lover's arm was protectively thrown over her petite body, and she cuddled closer to him with a smile on her lips. Soon enough he would wake, and then she didn't know what would ensue.

Did what they had shared mean something to him, as it did to her? She realized -with vivid clarity- that the events of the past week had brought them to this point, and that her life would never be the same. '_No matter what happens, I will have no regrets_.' she thought '_We both needed comforting, but I sure hope that it's more than just that_…'

She also hoped that this moment would never end, and that she could just stay in Squall's arms, warm and safe. Part of her wanted him to awake, and then she would know how he really felt, but another part dreaded it. A gentle kiss on her neck, and his arm tightening his embrace, informed her that the night was over – a new day had begun, and the next minutes would determine if it would be a happy one or not.

"Good morning, beautiful…" Squall said softly.

"Good morning," she replied, "Slept well?"

He gently turned her so she would face him and smiled, "Better than I have in a very long time."

She kissed him tentatively, to which he responded with an abandon that she never suspected he was capable of. If life allowed her to get to know him better, she had no doubt that it would be an interesting journey. Her emerald-eyes locked on his steel-blue ones, and she whispered, "Squall, I have something to tell you…"

"I know," he answered, "We need to have a serious conversation, Selphie."

His next words changed everything forever.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**~* IV – _How It Started…_ *~**

Well, now you know how this story ends, but I guess that you want to find out how they got to that point. You see, it all started to gain momentum on the Monday before Garden's Ball. Selphie had overslept, because the battery in her Pikachu-alarm clock had died during the night. She decided to have lunch first, and then go to the Quad to supervise the preparations for Saturday night's festivities.

Our spirited friend was skipping down the halls of Balamb Garden, just minding her own business (but not for long) and being her usual cheery self. A long time ago, in her science class, she had learned about osmosis and how things tended to equalize themselves. She had then developed her theory about happiness, which was that if she was happy enough it would rub off on people around her – it was, in her mind at any rate, sound and solid scientific reasoning.

She skipped around a corner, and…

***BANG!!!***

Before she could fall, two strong arms took hold of her. "Selphie, are you all right?" asked the other person.

"Huh, Squall?" She replied, still a little dazed, "Yeah, I think so."

"Good." He said then started to walk away.

"Squall, wait!" she yelled, jumping in front of him to block his way.

An annoyed frown appeared on his face (level 6.72 on his annoyance scale), and she inquired, "What's wrong? You look even more dejected than usual."

"Nothing."

"C'mooooooooooon!" Insisted the brunette, "I'm your friend and I'll help you with whatever it is."

"You really want to help me?"

"YUP!" ~^_^~

"Then leave me alone." And with that he hurried down the corridor towards his dorm.

Selphie shrugged and skipped her way to the cafeteria. Once there she spotted Zell enjoying lunch with his girlfriend, the library girl. "Hiya Zell!" piped our spirited friend merrily.

"Hey, Shelphie." He greeted back between two mouthfuls of hot-dog, "You *chew chew* heard about *gulps* Shquall *chomp* and Rinoa?"

"Huh, nope…" she said puzzled, for she was usually well informed on Garden's gossip – actually, she was more often than not the source of Garden's gossip.

"Zell," intervened his girlfriend, "No hables con la boca llena, hombre!" – [_Don't talk with your mouth full, man!_]

Zell swallowed, and continued, "You don't know, Selphie? Rinoa…"

Once again, his girlfriend cut him off, "¡Amorcito! Don't spread ugly rumors, we don't even know how much of it is true, ¡Caray!" [_Amorcito = Beloved; Caray is just an expression like 'dammit' or 'caramba'_]

The tattooed guy faced his beloved Latina, "But, Cristina Monica Reina Ema Antonia Maria Juanita Dolores Conchita Milagros Renata Francesca Manuela Angelica Veronica Marisol Consuelo…" – [Phew! Now you finally know her name ^_^]

'Please tell me!" Pleaded a now curious Selphie.

"¡Ha, bueno!" Replied Cristina Monica Reina Ema Antonia Maria Juanita Dolores Conchita Milagros Renata Francesca Manuela Angelica Veronica Marisol Consuelo, "But remember what happens to people who spread gossip." – [_Ha, bueno = All right_]

"They end up working for tabloids and make lots of money?" Replied Zell innocently.

Cristina Monica Reina Ema Antonia Maria Juanita Dolores Conchita Milagros Renata Francesca Manuela Angelica Veronica Marisol Consuelo rolled her eyes in a gesture of hopelessness, "¡Eres impossible, pero te amo!" – [_You're impossible, but I love you_] – she then kissed him passionately and excused herself, "Well, I have to go for my shift at the biblioteca. Hasta luego, Sofía." – [_Biblioteca = Library; Hasta luego = See yah_]

"It's Selphie!" Corrected the yellow-clad woman, but Cristina Monica Reina Ema Antonia Maria Juanita Dolores Conchita Milagros Renata Francesca Manuela Angelica Veronica Marisol Consuelo was already out of earshot, and our spirited friend's attention span (not very long in the best of cases) was already on the issue of Squall and Rinoa.

"Sooooooooo, Zelly," She started, "What about Rinny?"

Zell swallowed his twentieth hot-dog (he always ate lightly for lunch), and replied, "Well, I heard from Xu, who was told by the boy who runs around Garden, who got it from Nida, who was told by Trepie #2, who herself knew from Angelo, who had it from a reliable source –I think it was one of the cafeteria ladies- who had overheard a conversation by two of the girls who wander aimlessly around the directory, that early this morning Rinoa and Seifer were in the Quad getting close and personal. She also said that she was dying to kiss him, that she wanted to sleep with him, and that she was the only man in the world for her."

"HO!!!" ~O_O~

"Yeah," Continued the martial artist, "From what I heard, Squall and Quistis witnessed the whole thing. I thought that Quis would be trilled, since she's had a crush on our beloved Commander for a while, but in fact it would seem that she was upset about it."

The mystery was deepening, and Selphie hated unanswered questions – they rubbed against her nature. Furthermore, Seifer was supposed to be helping with the Festival's preparations, and NOT enjoying himself. After leaving Zell to stare despairingly at his empty plate, she made the circuit of her regular sources of information. She even went as far as to check the anonymous gossip bulletin on Garden's message board, but then remembered that she was the one who had put it up, and realized that she wouldn't get any news there.

She had only one alternative left, and decided to act on it. It would be perilous, but she wasn't one to balk away from a challenge – especially when the happiness of her closest friends was at stake. And so it was with an assured step –or rather skip- that she homed in on her destination with determination.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Meanwhile…

On one of Balamb's beaches, a blonde woman was sitting on a rock. The salty water lapped lazily at her bare feet, and she looked out to the immensity of the ocean. The whole scene that morning had greatly upset her, for she had trusted Seifer and considered Rinoa as a close friend.

"Maybe I should join a convent and become a nun." She mused out loud.

"Could we still date then?" Inquired a voice.

Surprised that he had managed to sneak on her like that, Quistis faced him and asked, "What are you doing here, Seifer? Why aren't you with her?"

"Quistis, listen," He pleaded, "It is all a terrible misunderstanding, I swear."

"She was in your arms, Seifer!" She exclaimed, "Don't try to deny it!"

"Quisty, baby, my little sunshine, my sweet banana split with whipped cream and a cherry on top, she fell and I grabbed her." He explained, "You left too soon or you would have heard me tell her about us."

Quistis pondered his words. It was true that all she had witnessed was Rinoa in Seifer's embrace, and due to the noise in the Quad (as Selphie's minions –er- helpers were decorating for Saturday's ball) she might have misunderstood the whole exchange. Maybe he really was innocent and she shouldn't be so harsh on the poor guy.

"Listen, I know that she took Squall away from you," Continued the tall man, "But my heart belongs to you…"

"Then why do we have to keep our relationship secret? Now that you told Rinoa, and that others have probably heard, we could let the world know about us."

"Quisty, you know how people still feel about me," Said Seifer with sadness, "People have not forgiven me yet, and I don't want you to suffer because of me…"

"Ho, Seifer…" She exclaimed, throwing her arms around his neck and kissing him lovingly. "I don't care what people think of me, and they will eventually realize that you have changed."

"Are you sure?" He insisted, "I don't want you to be ostracized or anything…"

"I'm a big girl, I can take care of myself." She affirmed, "And 'ostracized'? I see that you've been paying attention in my English class."

"I always pay attention to every word that comes out of your beautiful lips." He answered and held her tight, reveling in the comfort of her embrace, "Next Saturday, at the ball, we'll walk in together, and then all will know about us."

"I love you, Seifer…"

"I love you, Quisty…"

Their lips met again in a sweet and loving caress, and this would have been a great moment for a shooting star to pass overhead, but it was still daytime and not the season anyway. A seagull did pass nearby, flying majestically in the sky towards the great expanse of the ocean, gliding gracefully in the wind currents as a noble symbol of…

***QWACK!!!***

The bird, or what was left of it, fell in a mess of feathers and blood. The Shuriken returned to its owner and she cursed her short temper, but she had to vent her anger somehow (those damn critters stole my French fries once, and I was really hungry and short on cash). Fortunately, the couple on which she was spying didn't notice her, for they were lost in their own private universe. All this was that Tilmitt girl's fault, thought the pale woman spying on the two lovers. If the Prozac-junkie had minded her own business Seifer would still be available.

Not that Fujin had ever gathered the courage to tell Seifer about her feelings, but she had dreamt and hoped that he would realize her inner beauty - and declare his love for her. But then Selphie 'meddling' Tilmitt (the _ecstasy_-high bitch) had arranged a blind date between the two blonds, with the present results. Well, our albino friend would not leave such an affront unpunished! No sir! She would get back to the perky girl with a vengeance, and in a most cruel way.

"REVENGE" spat the fair woman as she made her way back to Balamb Garden.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_~*~ To Be Continued ~*~_


	2. How Squall Feels

**~* III – _How Squall feels…_ *~**

Squall was on his bed staring at the ceiling. He realized that things between Rinoa and him weren't working out, and that it had been so for a while now. Thinking about it he realized that he cared for her, but the passion just wasn't there. But what did he know about passion anyway? He probably wouldn't recognize passion if it hit him in the face.

He couldn't deny that Rinoa and him had a lot in common. In fact they read the same books, listened to the same music, ate the same foods, used the same banana scented shampoo & conditioner, and basically shared the same opinions when it came to important matters. They never disagreed on anything either, except shopping, so everything was perfect between them.

Too perfect…

Way too perfect…

Much too perfect…

He was bored out of his wits…

And what he had witnessed that morning made him realize that she probably felt the same way. Many things could be said about Seifer Almasy (not that anyone would be stupid or suicidal enough to do so), but the tall guy was not a boring character, quite the contrary. At least Squall was having a great brooding session, which was the highlight of the past few days.

'_I need to get out more_.' He thought, as he watched the erratic journey of a speck of dust above him. Squall started as someone banged on his door with insistence. He tried to ignore it, but his concentration had been broken and he lost sight of the speck of dust. Out of pure boredom, he rose and answered the door.

"HIYA SQUALL!"

"Selphie…" he remarked.

"Listen, I was going shopping and…"

"Good for you," he interrupted her and made to close the door.

If there was one thing that Squall hated above all, it was shopping. Once he had considered faking his own death to get out of it, but Rinoa had found out about his preparations and forced him to go with her. Selphie sensed that this was not the right approach (and remembered the fake-death incident), so she changed tactics.

"No wait!" she insisted, "Forget about shopping! Maybe we can get makeovers and, yah know, talk about stuff."

"I'll pass."

"Well then, we can stay here and talk," she insisted, "I just want to know what's on your mind."

"Why?"

"Because we're friends! And I don't want my friends to be sad."

"Whatever."

"Can I come in and talk?" asked the perky girl, with an endearing expression on her face.

"No."

"Awww! C'mooooooooon! I just want to help."

"Go away."

"Listen, Squall," she warned, "I will NOT move from this spot until you talk to me! In fact, I'll camp right here if I need to!"

"Suit yourself." – and with that he closed the door, and plopped himself back on his bed. He knew that Selphie would get bored after a while (he gave her about 15 seconds or so, maybe less), and leave him alone. After about 20 minutes of silence, he got back to brood-mode again but heard singing just outside.

"Kumbaya, my Hyne, kumbaya…"

"What the???" exclaimed Squall. He covered his ears with his pillow, but now Selphie was playing the guitar on top of singing – and the damn instrument was not properly tuned.

"Kumbaya *_Plink_* my Hyne *_Ploink_* Kumabayaaaaaaaaaaaaaa *_Plainks_*"

Trying very hard to control his murderous impulse, the dark-haired man walked out of his room and froze at the sight. In front of him was an inflatable _PowerPuff Girls_' tent, and Selphie was dressed in hiking shorts, shirt, and boots, sitting cross-legged and smiling angelically at him.

"Hey, Squall," She greeted him merrily, "Want a roasted marshmallow?"

Effectively, she had installed a portable grill and was roasting sausages and marshmallows on it. "You'll have to wait for hot-dogs, I can't put the heat too high or the fire alarms will go off." – She had also plugged a small fridge in one of the wall's sockets. It became painfully clear to our broody friend that she was prepared for a very long siege, and so he abdicated.

"All right, you win."

"Booyaka! I knew that you needed to talk."

"Whatever."

Selphie pondered for a moment, and then said, "Squall, I heard about this morning."

"Did you talk to Rinoa?" He asked.

"Nope, couldn't find her so I came to see you." She replied.

'_Lucky me…_' Thought Squall.

"So what happened?" Insisted Selphie.

"You are sure that you want to hear about it?"

"Sure, certain and positive!" She exclaimed, glad to have gotten through to him.

Squall breathed deeply before relating what he had witnessed, "This morning, before I bumped into you, I went to the Quad to hide from Cid and then…"

***** _FLASHBACK_ *****

Cid Kramer loved filling out forms, and supposed that everybody shared his feelings on the matter. Squall Leonhart hated it with a passion, and that was why he was hiding from the Headmaster. Our dark-haired friend entered the Quad, for it would be the last place anyone would think to look for him. The Ball would take place in a week, and there was frantic activity everywhere in the large room.

Squall noticed a large background panel, representing a snow-covered landscape, in a corner of the stage. '_Nobody will notice me behind that_.' He thought, but as he approached his destination he heard two familiar voices coming from behind it.

Rinoa: "Seifer, would you please keep it steady?"

Seifer: "Listen, this is not exactly the first time I do this!"

Squall: '?'

Rinoa: "You could have fooled me!"

Seifer: "Aw! You, of all people should know better!"

Squall: '??'

Rinoa: "Damn! I don't think it'll reach."

Seifer: "It did the last time I tried, just get a good grip."

Squall: '???'

Rinoa: "I'm telling you, it's way too short."

Seifer: "It's fine, you're just not handling this correctly."

Squall: '!'         O_o

Rinoa: "I've done this before, you know!"

Seifer: "Yeah, but it doesn't mean you're any good at it. Hehehe…"

Squall: '!!'

Rinoa: "You know what? Maybe you should take care of this by yourself!"

Seifer: "All right, I apologize. Just try to get it in there."

Squall: '!!!'       O.O

Rinoa: "Push a little more."

Seifer: "How's that?"

Rinoa: "It's going to be a tight fit, but I guess we can manage."

Seifer: "Told yah!"

Squall: '!!!!!'

Seifer: "He! Don't bend it like that!"

Rinoa: "Take a chill pill, it won't break."

Squall: '!!!!!!!!!!'

Rinoa: "Lets see, try to push it a little, then pull and push again."

Seifer: "Like this?"

Rinoa: "Yeah, now make it turn. Good, it's almost all in."

Squall: '_GAH_!' O_O

Rinoa: "Damn! It popped out!"

Seifer: "Maybe we should get someone else to help."

Rinoa: "Nah, we can do this… Ho man! I got some of that icky stuff on my duster!"

Squall: @_@

Seifer: "Be careful, there's some on the floor too."

At that moment, Quistis spotted Squall standing in front of the backdrop with a shocked expression on his face. "Squall, what's wrong?" she inquired softly to avoid startling him.

Squall: "Er… huh… Sinoa… Reifer…"

Quistis: '?'

Rinoa: "SEIFER!"

Seifer: "I knew you couldn't resist me. Hehehe."

There are those unfortunate coincidences in life, and it was at that precise instant that one of the scaffoldings collapsed. Nobody was hurt, but it made a lot of noise and Squall & Quistis couldn't hear the whole exchange between Rinoa & Seifer. But they did hear enough…

Rinoa: "Listen, Seif***** I wou***** die***** kiss yo***** sleep with you***** only man***** in the world***** I am so over***** Squall***** want to finish what we started now?"

Squall was utterly paralyzed, but Quistis hurried behind the painting and also exclaimed: "SEIFER!!!"

The blond man was holding Rinoa in his arms (they were both dressed, so it's a PG13 rated scene – thought you'd like to know). "Quistis, wait! This is not what it looks like!"

"Well, it looks like you guys are dancing the polka!" said Quistis with obvious sarcasm.

"Huh, that's what it looks like?" replied a relieved Seifer.

"OF COURSE NOT YOU DIMWIT!" _

"Quistis, wait…" intervened Rinoa, but the blonde woman bolted for the exit with angry tears in her eyes. Squall didn't even look behind the backdrop, but also fled under the astounded glares of the people working in the Quad.

***** _END_ _FLASHBACK_ *****

Squall remained silent after his narration, and Selphie tentatively offered, "Maybe if you talked to Rinoa…"

He took a deep breath before answering, "I know I should, but I just want the dust to settle first."

"You two are so alike," remarked the brunette, "I just know that she's thinking the same thing right now.

"Yes," agreed the Commander, "You know, she even introduced me to poetry and I really like it. Say, want to hear a bit of my favorite piece?"

Squall Leonhart reciting poetry? This was too great an opportunity to pass, "Sure!" she replied excitedly.

The dark-haired man cleared his throat and delivered:

'_We all awake on a fateful day,_

_ To realize we've lost our way,_

_ Our souls can hope for no reprieve,_

_ For we have lost all will to live…_'

Selphie suddenly understood why the potted plant in Squall's dorm had withered, in spite of Rinoa caring for it – the poor vegetable had probably died of despair.

"Hum, that was one of the cheerful ones?" Asked the brunette.

"Well, yes," answered Squall, "How did you know?"

"Lucky guess…" She replied.

"I will talk to Rinoa, but I think that it's over," he continued, "The spark just isn't there anymore."

The brunette had not expected this turn of events, for one of the rare moments in her life she didn't know what to do. "Hot-dog?" she offered to Squall.

He accepted it and actually smiled, "Thank you."

To his surprise, Selphie had actually cheered him up. This whole set-up with the tent, the grill and the bear-trap… WAIT! BEAR-TRAP? O_O

"Selphie, why is there a bear-trap in the corridor?"

"Ho, it's just for the ambiance. The faculty guys wouldn't let me bring a few animals along, and so I had to accessorize."

He smiled again, for she was just so unpredictable and full of life. Squall then decided to do something totally out of the ordinary, and planted a chaste kiss on her forehead. She looked at him surprised but pleased, and offered, "Squall, lets just get some fresh air."

Fully aware that this was not a mere suggestion, our friend acquiesced. They rounded the corner, and heard the scream coming from the direction of Squall's room.

"MAH GAWD! MAH LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEG!!!"

Selphie and Squall managed to get to the exit in record time, looking as innocent as two guilty-looking people trying to appear blameless can.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_~*~ To Be Continued ~*~_


	3. How It Went From There

**~* II – _How It Went From There…_ *~**

Irvine Kinneas wasn't having a good week. It started with his foot getting caught in a bear-trap, and then he had triggered some kind of incendiary device. Had it not been for Fujin, he could have been seriously hurt – or even worst, his hair could have gotten singed. It was thought that Squall had been the intended victim, but the Commander dismissed the whole thing, and most of the evidence had burnt anyway.

Whoever was behind the incident were obviously amateurs, clever ones but still amateurs, using common appliances to set their trap. Security was reinforced around Garden, and life went on as before. The sharpshooter also vowed to look where he walked, instead of checking out girls in the future.

Fujin Kazeno, on the other hand, was quite content. She had found a way to take revenge on Selphie, and it was a simple one: take Irvine away from her. Unfortunately it was easier said than done, even if he was grateful for her timely help, as she didn't know where to start. Her first plan was to kidnap the cowboy, take a picture of herself kissing him, and send it to the brunette. The flaw in that scenario soon became evident; as did all the others she came up with.

To complicate things further, Fujin was sent as a bodyguard (as a precaution after the aforementioned incident) on a diplomatic mission with Squall, Xu and Selphie to Esthar. She decided then to take extreme and draconic measures, and as soon as she got some time off she went shopping.

Irvine spent the rest of the week checking girls out as he walked.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Wasn't his a great idea, Squall?" exclaimed a cheerful Selphie.

"Whatever."

"Just look at the light as it touches everything," she continued, "The sunrise is so beautiful seen from up here."

It was 5h15AM, and the brunette had managed to drag him to the top of Esthar's Presidential Building. He hadn't been sleeping anyway, and he had to admit that the view was breathtaking.

"The day always comes, even after the longest night," was saying his energetic companion, "Light always triumphs over darkness…"

If Squall had had a good night's sleep, if his mind hadn't been so foggy, and if she hadn't been standing so close to him, then things might have been different. As it was, he felt drawn to Selphie and kissed her softly, to which she responded before pulling away with a shocked expression on her face.

"Er, hum, I guess we should get back." She managed to blurt out.

"I… sorry…" he apologized.

'_Don't be…_' thought Selphie, "It's all right, don't worry about It.", she offered and smiled to her companion.

"I better go and check my messages." Said Squall, and then made his escape.

Selphie just stayed there, trying to figure out what had just happened.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday, April 01, 4002           08:00 PM

To:       whatever@balambgarden.org

From:   owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb

Subject:            Talk to me

Squall, please, answer me. It's all a horrible misunderstanding. I Love you. Rinoa

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Tuesday, April 02, 4002           05:23 AM

To:       whatever@balambgarden.org

From:   owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb

Subject:            re: Talk to me

Squall, listen, I know you have been abandoned and hurt in the past. Just give me a chance to explain. Rinoa

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Tuesday, April 02, 4002           11:46 PM

To:       whatever@balambgarden.org

From:   owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb

Subject:            re: re: Talk to me

Why exactly are you avoiding me? Quistis says it's because of what happened when I was with Seifer in the Quad this Monday. I don't understand. Rinoa

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Wednesday, April 03, 4002      02:16 PM

To:       whatever@balambgarden.org

From:   owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb

Subject:            re: re: re: re: re: Talk to me

All right, you are getting on my nerves Leonhart! Stop answering all of my messages with 'Whatever' – It's annoying! Rinoa

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Thursday, April 04, 4002          08:59 AM

To:       whatever@balambgarden.org

From:   owlprincess@timberresistance.tmb

Subject:            re: re: re: re: re: re: Talk to me

Listen, you're being childish. I heard the rumors, and I want to set the record straight. Rinoa

PS. And I told you to stop answering to all of my messages by 'Whatever' :(

---

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---------------

Squall didn't even check the rest of the messages in his inbox, and he logged off and sighed. He knew that he would have to face Rinoa sooner of later, for the situation had to be resolved. Furthermore, Quistis had also written to him, and insisted that he should talk to Rinoa. But he just didn't feel up to it, for the past few days had forced him into serious self-questioning.

The fact was that he was having a great time with Selphie. They had arrived in Esthar last Tuesday, and would be leaving for Balamb early tomorrow morning – just in time for Saturday's Ball. Squall didn't understand what was happening to him, but all he knew was that the petite brunette made him relax and laugh. She had a way of seeing beauty in all things, and most importantly she went shopping only when pushed by necessity.

And there had been the kiss… Why had he felt attracted to her like that? Was it because she had been so nice to him, or was it something else? Squall didn't know what to make of the incident, but something had shifted inside him. He just couldn't act on it, for Selphie was Irvine's girlfriend, thus off limits. Furthermore, what would such a lively person have to do with a guy like himself?

"Better to stop thinking about Selphie," he said out loud, "And reply to Rinoa's messages."

He logged on to his email account, and sent a message to Rinoa to meet him at the Ball. Yes, he would set the record straight with her and see where things went from there. He closed his eyes and remembered all they had shared together, all she had done for him, all that made her beautiful… her raven-hair, her smile, her way at pointing at the stars, her emerald-eyes, her cute yellow dress…

"GAH!" exclaimed our friend, "Ho man, I am in deep trouble…"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**~*~*~*~ The night of the Ball ~*~*~*~**

Fujin turned this way and that in front of her mirror. She had never considered herself beautiful, but knew that attitude held an important part in the game of seduction. She looked at herself as objectively as she could, and had to admit that she was satisfied with the results. In the past year, she had let her hair grow and it now reached past her shoulders. A cleverly placed silver lock hid her blind eye - It had taken nearly all the fixative in the can, but the result was worth it.

Her sleeveless evening dress was of a light-blue hue, which complimented her fair complexion wonderfully. "DRESSED TO KILL." she remarked to herself, and after one last check up she exited her room. She made a remarked entrance in the Quad, as most people didn't recognize her at first, but soon enough there were interested admirers orbiting around her.

All the attention she was showered with, and to which she was really not used, made her resolve about Irvine falter. Furthermore, she wasn't sure she wanted to get back at Selphie anymore – the girl was just too friendly and nice to be mad at her. After an hour or so, even if several guys were obviously enthralled and/or simply shocked by her new looks, Fujin hadn't received a single invitation to dance. She had decided to leave when…

"Hey there, missy," saluted a familiar voice beside her, "Yah new 'round these parts?"

"NEGATIVE"

"Fujin???"

"AFFIRMATIVE"

"Er… Huh… Care tah dance?"

"SURE"

"Just be gentle, Aw hurt mah leg if yah remember." He warned her.

"WELL NOW?"

"Yeah, A'm OK." Replied Irvine, "An' thank yah again for helping me."

"WELCOME"

----------

Meanwhile, Squall and Rinoa were on one of the balconies. It was the dark-haired man who broke the silence, "Rinoa, I heard you and Seifer… well… you know… last Monday behind that backdrop."

"And what is wrong with that?" She answered.

"I would never dare…"

'_This guy is way too proud_.' Thought Rinoa before replying, "Well, I admit that it was a little embarrassing, but those cables were way too short and the sockets were not standard issue."

"Cables?"         O_O

"Well yes, we were helping Selphie out." Continued Rinoa, "By the way, did you know that Quistis and Seifer are dating? That explains why she was so upset."

"Huh yeah, I saw them together tonight. Say, what about the icky stuff on your duster?"

"Oh, it was one of Seifer's brilliant ideas," she explained, "He greased the connections to make it easier to plug them, I nearly twisted my ankle when I slipped on the stuff."

"And then he caught you…"

"Yeah, but he couldn't resist teasing me and I really wasn't in the mood."

"Huh, what did you tell him?"

"I don't recall exactly, but I think it was along the lines of: 'I would rather die than kiss him, that I wouldn't sleep with him even if he was the only man left in the world, and that I was over him and with you now.' If you heard all that I don't understand why you've been avoiding me."

"I… er… you see… it's like…"

"Stop it, Squall," she ordered, "Relationships are about trust, and you obviously don't trust me. I guess it's better to go our separate ways, I really don't see us working out."

---------------

After Squall had left, Rinoa just stayed there gazing at the stars. Part of her had known that it would end like this, but it still hurt. Someone stepped on the balcony, and for a moment she feared that he had come back. "Rinoa? Huh, you forgot this in the library."

"Raijin? Ho, my poetry book by Jinrai Janbar!" she exclaimed, "I've been looking all over for it, thank you."

"You like that author?"

"Yes, he's very promising, but you know he's a real recluse who doesn't even allow his picture to be taken."

"Maybe he treasures his privacy."

"Maybe," said the brown-eyed woman, and recited from memory, _"March my friends with pride and zeal, Swords at rest peaceful at last, Use your might not to slay but to heal…_ – sorry, you're probably bored by this."

"_March oh brothers with honor and zeal_." He corrected her.

"What?" exclaimed the young woman in surprise.

"It is _brothers_ and _honor_ not _friends_ and _pride_."

Rinoa checked in the book, and then eyed the big man suspiciously, "How did you know that?"

"Huh, I had a quick look," explained Raijin.

"That part is near the end." Remarked the raven-haired woman, "And why aren't you saying 'yah know' at the end of each of your sentences?"

"Oh! Yah know, I had a few, yah know, drinks, yah know. Hee hee, yah know how it is, yah know."

"You can't have learned that piece so fast, and this book is a limited edition only available in Timber," she continued, and noticed that he was more and more uncomfortable at her scrutiny, "The author is named Jinrai Janbar, and your name is Raijin Barjan…"

"Huh, yah know, I gotta go… er check if Seifer, yah know, is all right, yah know."

Rinoa suddenly made the connection, "Ho my Hyne! You wrote this book! You just switched your name around, Rai-jin for Jin-rai and Bar-jan for Jan-bar!"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about…"

"Stop pretending," ordered Rinoa, "I feel that you're hiding something. I am not a sorceress just for the title, you know."

Raijin finally confessed, "All right, you found me out. That's my first book, I am working on a second one and I might have a shot at wider distribution."

"But why do you hide that, and why do you act as a clueless dork?" she inquired with obvious puzzlement.

"Because I realized that people are afraid of big guys, but not of dumb and friendly big guys," He explained, "And you know how is in a military institution, if they knew about my poetry it would make things hard for me here. I can't earn my life with my writing yet, and the only other thing I know is being a SeeD."

"Don't worry, I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you, and would you like to see some of my new pieces sometime?"

"I would love to." She replied honestly.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Irvine was a skilled dancer, and even his wound didn't impair his performance much. He knew that being with Fujin would get him in trouble with Selphie, but he hadn't seen the brunette all week, not even after she'd been back from Esthar. And he had to admit that things hadn't been all that great between them for a while now. Furthermore, she had been spending a lot of time with Squall, and she had basically been brushing him off. Curiously enough, it didn't really bother him – maybe it was time to move on.

Right now he was in heaven anyway, for he would be known as 'the guy who melted the Ice Queen's reserve' and Fujin was quite an attractive woman. It was also a big plus that she was really nice, and didn't mind fetching him a plate from the buffet and drinks. '_People are not always what they seem_…' he mused.

"Yah know, me lady, Aw have a confession tah make." – this declaration from Irvine was greatly helped by the vast amounts of _Shiva_ _Lager_ [_cold beer for cool people_] he had ingested.

"CONFESSION?"

"Yeah, Aw always thought that yah were attractive, ever since Aw met yah."

"ME ATTRACTIVE?"

"Well, yeah," he continued, "Yah have that 'Femme Fatale' thang going fer yah, but yah always seemed unattainable, and Aw thought that yah was Seifer's woman at first."

Fujin liked tall men, and she also had always thought that the cowboy was handsome – she would never admit it out loud though. Furthermore, he had noticed her and acted on it, which was way more than Seifer ever had. She didn't want to hurt Selphie anymore, but decided that she should take whatever solace she could – the brunette was popular anyway, and would certainly find someone else easily.

"WANT LEAVE?" she asked the sharpshooter.

"So early?"

"BAD FOR FOOT"

"Yeah, ye're probably right," he agreed, "Can Aw walk yah tah yer room?"

"YES"

Irvine Kinneas had just sealed his fate…

----------

Selphie finally freed herself from last-minute preparations, and hurried to shower and change. Fortunately, she had bumped into Quistis and the blonde woman had helped with her hairdo. The brunette was wearing a long evening gown, and yellow roses in her hair that matched the color of her dress. 

Squall had been a lot on her mind, quite a lot in fact. Since they had met, and remembered about their pasts, she had been fond of him. The problem was that her feelings for him were really confusing right now, and that kiss in Esthar had been nice... better than nice, it had been honest – it was the only word she could think of to really describe it.

Once in the Quad, she greeted people left and right and shared a few words with Zell and Cristina Monica Reina Ema Antonia Maria Juanita Dolores Conchita Milagros Renata Francesca Manuela Angelica Veronica Marisol Consuelo, she also met Rinoa and Raijin – but Selphie had more pressing things on her mind, and didn't question why those two were hanging out together. She still had feelings for Irvine Kinneas, and decided that the whole thing with Squall was just a passing infatuation – she tried really hard to convince herself of that.

She looked around for the sharpshooter, and spotted him walking towards the entrance with a sculptural woman with pale hair at his arm. A thousand thoughts went through the brunette's mind, and she followed the couple.

'_Maybe she's not feeling well, and he offered to walk her to her room out of kindness_.' Thought the diminutive woman, hoping against hope.

As they reached the corridor to the dorms, Fujin grabbed Irvine and kissed him fiercely – with all the passion she had kept bottled up for so long. The cowboy was totally taken aback, for he had always been in control before and this turn of events was utterly unexpected.

"YOUR ROOM" ordered the fair woman, and he obliged – partially out of concern for his safety.

Tear-filled emerald orbs watched them enter his room, finally understanding that she had been deluding herself, and refusing to see the obvious. The heartbroken girl hurried away, she didn't know where she was going and she didn't care.

She vowed that Irvine Kinneas had hurt her for the last time. 

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_~*~ To Be Continued ~*~_


	4. How It All Concluded...

**~*~ I – _How It All Concluded…_ ~*~**

"THAT JERK!" cried Selphie as she ran. Her heart was filled with despair, anger, and humiliation. Blinded by her tears, she collided with someone.

"We should really stop meeting each other this way."

"Squall?"

"Why are you crying, Selphie?"

She managed to answer him between sobs, "It's *sniff* that jerk *sob* Irvine *sniffles* that no good *boohoo* flirtatious *cries* cheating *snort!* bastard!"

Selphie had just blown her nose into Squall's lucky shirt, but fortunately he didn't notice (he would have been royally pissed off, yah know). But since she had cheered him up that whole week, he wanted to return the favor. He had also had a few glasses of wine, and it made his true self –the caring, warm, loving, compassionate part of his personality that he usually kept safely locked away- show through (damn booze).

Not knowing what to do, but figuring that the diminutive woman was in need of consoling, he walked her to his room – one of the roses in her hair fell, but neither of them noticed it. Once inside, they both sat on the side of his bed and he tentatively put a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"Want to talk about it?" He inquired.

"No *sniff* , it's just too *sniff*  painful." She replied with eyes swollen from crying.

"All right then." He said, silently relieved. – His relief didn't last long though.

"Ho, Squall!" She cried, "Why *boohoo* does this always *cries* happen to me? *SNIFF* First Nida and now Irvine! *SOBS*"         ~;_;~

"Nida?"            O_O

"Yes *sniff* he joined the Garden's Festival, and was really nice to me *sniff* but I thought that he was too shy to ask me out *blows nose* so I did."

"Huh, what happened?" Inquired a puzzled Squall, for he was unable to picture Nida breaking anybody's heart.

"After six months of *boohoo* dating he broke up with me *sniff* or rather he confessed *cries* that he was never attracted *sniffles* to me but *sob* was too shy to tell me before."

'_Ho sweet Hyne_,' thought our friend, '_I am surrounded by weirdoes_.'

"I *sniff* know it's stupid, but *boohoo* I feel that no one cares about *sob* me."

"I care, Selphie." Said Squall, putting his arms around her tiny frame, "After I talked to Rinoa, I waited for you in the Quad. I saw you coming in and then following Irvine and Fujin, and I went after you."

"You're so *sniff* nice, but what about Rinny?"

"It's over between her and me," explained our friend, still surprised that she would put another person's feelings before her own, "But don't worry, we had an honest talk and decided that it was for the best."

"I just want someone to be honest with me too," continued Selphie, "And to accept me as I am, but I guess it's too much to ask…"

"No, Selphie," said Squall, "You deserve those things, and even more."

"You really think so?"

"I know so…"

They should have said goodbye then, but the past few days had changed too many things, and he had changed a lot too. In a spontaneous gesture, born of feelings he couldn't start to understand, his lips found hers and they were joined in a gentle embrace. He wasn't as experienced as her former beau, but his caress was giving and sweet… and comforting.

She didn't pull away this time…

---------------

_… tonight must last us forever,_

_forever we say goodnight and go home_

_But you know me very well,_

_and I know you, you can't tell me goodnight_

_say goodnight…_

_Say goodnight when we should say goodbye…_

_say goodbye…_

_(Shandy – KISS)_

---------------

They did not say goodbye…

Sometime during the night, Squall awoke alone. So she had left, as had everyone who had ever mattered in his life. Why was he doomed at being abandoned? It really broke his heart that Selphie had gone, for in the past week his feelings for her had changed from friendship to something stronger. He was slowly drowning in a bottomless pit of despair, when suddenly the door of his room opened slowly and a silent form made her way to his bed.

Selphie was wearing Squall's robe, which was way too big for her, and before slipping under the covers she discarded it. Cuddling close to him, she noticed that he was awake.

"Sorry, Squall," she apologized softly, "I didn't mean to wake you."

Relief was apparent in his voice, "I am so glad you came back, I thought that you regretted and that I would never see you again."

"Don't worry, I will never abandon you…" she reassured him gently, "Hush now."

He was about to ask what she'd been up to, but her needful kiss efficiently silenced him. And then he forgot all about the incident.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**~*~ Early morning, the next day ~*~**

Rinoa's steps brought her towards Squall's dorm; she just wanted to make sure that he was all right after last evening's conversation. When she got there she recognized the yellow rose in front of his door, and she then understood who had taken her place in his heart. She felt sorrow of course, for something had just died and that always hurt. On the other hand, happiness for her spirited friend filled her heart. "You better be good to her, Squall Leonhart." She said softly.

As she walked away –from his room, and from him- she wiped a tear from her eye. At the same time she felt relieved, for he wouldn't be alone and maybe, just maybe, Selphie would be able to give him what she could not. It also meant that she was free, and that she had a lot of thinking to do. Her musings were interrupted by a booming voice.

"He, Rinoa! Where are you going?"

She nearly jumped out of her socks –'nearly' because she wasn't wearing any socks- and turned to face the tall tanned man. "Ho, Raijin, you scared me."

"Ho, sorry," He apologized, "Are you all right?"

"Huh, yes, it's just that too many things have happened."

"Well, you forgot your book yesterday." He said, handling her the volume, "And I took the liberty of writing a dedication for you in the cover."

The guy was really nice and friendly, and last evening had completely changed her opinion of him, "Thank you, and would you like to have breakfast with me?"

"Sure, I usually go to Balamb on Sundays."

"Sounds great." She replied, and –after putting her boots back on, for she had jumped out of them- accepted his gallantly offered arm.

As they were making their way to Garden's parking, she remarked, "Raijin, I don't mind you saying 'yah know' at the end of each sentence."

"You don't think it's annoying?" he said surprised.

"No, in fact I think it's cute."

"All right then, yah know."

Rinoa suddenly felt that this day would be a good one after all, and she smiled happily at her companion. She didn't care that all the others thought of Raijin as being as strong as an ox, and almost as smart – she knew better.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_I was made for lovin' you baby_

_You were made for lovin' me_

_And I can't get enough of you baby_

_Can you get enough of Irvy_

_I was made for lovin' you baby_

_You were made for lovin' me_

_And I can give it all to you baby_

_Can you give it all to Irvyyyyyyyyyyyyy!_

(Irvine Kinneas' rendition of _KISS's_ *_I Was Made For Lovin' You*_)

---------------

The cowboy awoke, and tried to remember what had exactly happened last night. First of all he should have gone easy on the _Shiva Lager_ [_cold beer for cool people_], for it always clouded his mind more than other drinks. "Next time I'll stick to _Ifrit Cola_ [_the refreshing cola for hot folks_]", he mouthed softly. Irvine then made to rise, but was grabbed in an iron-strong grip and thrown back onto the bed.

"STAY"

Her lips claimed his with passion. He stared at his silver-haired companion and suddenly remembered it all. '_Shit shit shit shit! It wasn't a dream!_' he thought, '_No, wait! Actually it's a good thing! This woman is amazing!_'

"SOMETHING WRONG?" she inquired with concern.

"Huh, no baby," he replied, "I… well, this is a surprise…"

"GOOD ONE?"

"Yes, a great and incredible one, but we have to talk."

"AGREED"

Irvine started, "I really like you, Fujin, but a man like me owns it to the women of this world…"

"RULES"

"Huh, what rules?"

"OTHER WOMEN…"

"I'm glad we agree…" – smiling            ^_^\     [ \ is his ponytail]

"…OFF LIMITS"

"What?" – losing the smile         o_o\

"NO FLIRTING"

"But…" – confused      O_o\

"EXCLUSIVE RELATIONSHIP"

"Wait a mi…" – scared O_O\

"COMMITMENT EXPECTED"

"Gah!" – shocked         @_@\

"CONSEQUENCES"

"Consequences?" – near tears               ;_;\

"AFFIRMATIVE"

"What consequences?"

Fujin whispered to his ear, "If you cheat on me… mumble… whisper… murmur… UNDERSTOOD?"

'_OW!_' though our friend.

"BUT IF FAITHFUL" she started then whispered to his ear some more, "I'll… mumble… mumble… and then… whisper… whisper… and even… murmur… murmur…" – [A/N: can't write that out loud or the rating will skyrocket]

"HEEEEEEEEEEW HAAAAAAAAAAAAAAW!" exclaimed Irvine, in pure cowboyish exaltation.

In fact, Fujin shouldn't have worried. You see, no one was stupid enough to cross her, and so Irvine was branded 'off limits' to the rest of Garden's female (and also male) population. Fortunately for him he changed his ways, and as weird as it may seem [as if anything in this crappy story makes any kind of sense so far] she really made him happy and fulfilled.

Gallantly he offered, "Say, baby, yah want some breakfast?"

"SURE"

"Well then, I'll go get sumtin', don't yah go a wander." He said and got dressed.

Fujin blew Irvine a kiss and he pretended catching and putting it to his lips, he then opened the door, stepped out of his room and…

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

_Vivo per lei da quando sai                              I live for her, you know, since_

_La prima volta l'ho incantrata.                      The first time I met her._

_Non mi ricordo come ma                                I do not remember how, but_

_Mi e entrata dentro e c'e restata.                   She entered within me and stayed there._

_Vivo per lei perche mi fa                                 I live for her because she makes_

_Vivrare forte l'anima.                                     My soul vibrate so strongly._

_Vivo per lei e non e un peso…                        I live for her and it is not a burden…_

(_Vivo Per Lei – Andrea Bocelli_)          

---------------

"Good morning, beautiful…" Squall said softly.

"Good morning," she replied, "Slept well?"

He gently turned her so she would face him and smiled, "Better than I have in a very long time."

She kissed him tentatively, to which he responded with an abandon that she never suspected he was capable of. If life allowed her to get to know him better, she had no doubt that it would be an interesting journey. Her emerald-eyes locked on his steel-blue ones, and she whispered, "Squall, I have something to tell you…"

"I know," he answered, "We need to have a serious conversation, Selphie."

His next words changed everything forever.

"Sephy, what happened last night… it meant something to me."

"It meant something to me too…"

"I don't know why I never noticed before how beautiful, and wonderful you are," he continued, "And if you'll have me, I want to give it a shot."

"I want to give it a shot too." She replied.

Her striking eyes sparkled with happiness, and he felt a warm feeling in his heart just looking at her. He knew that Selphie would challenge him to change every step of the way, and make him become a better –and happier- person. It was a great thing, the best thing that could have ever happened to him.

"Say, why did you get up during the night?" he asked, "You really got me concerned."

"I just had a little score to settle." Replied the brunette with a mischievous spark in her green eyes.

"Score to settle?" Inquired Squall, but before he could pry any further, a loud scream of agony came from the corridor.

"**HOLY $#*&!!! MAH LEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEG!!!**"

"Selphie, you didn't put that bear-trap in front of Irvine's room, did you?"

"Tee Hee!"

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

**~*~*~ _THE END_ ~*~*~**

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: And there you have it, my entry for the Squallphie contest. As I recall, the following points will be considered:

1) How creative is the plot?                              [Guess I can kiss that one goodbye]

2) How well does the plot line flow?                  [That one too]

3) Believability within the FF8 storyline?            [Ditto]

4) Spelling/Grammar?                           [Me fore suer wil skor point inn taht cat-gory]

5) OOCness within reason                    [Another one down the drain…]

6) Reasons for their behavior                [Damn!]

7) Incorporation of various genres while sticking to a main one   [Yay! I'll get a good grade here… Oops! It's 'sticking' not 'stinking', sorry]

Good luck to all the contestants! - Hyne knows that I need it :(


End file.
